

The Content Byte
Rachel Smith
Hosts Rachel Smith (from Rachel's List) and journalist and content writer Lynne Testoni are serving up weekly short bites of advice, tips and strategies, plus special guests, for freelancers who make a living from using their words. We're shooting for 15-minute episodes, but can't promise anything because we can both talk the leg off a chair.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 28, 2020 • 13min
Think weeks: what are they and why do you need one?
Ever since we read about Bill Gates' penchant for think weeks - a 7-day solo stay to read, think and come up with ideas without distractions - we've loved the idea. In this episode, we talk about how to plan your own 'think week' for your business, what to take and whether you should invite a co-thinker along with you.

Jun 22, 2020 • 48min
RE-RELEASE! Finding content marketing clients with Jennifer Goforth Gregory
This week on the podcast, Lynne has been unwell so we thought it would be a great idea to re-release one of our favourite episodes from a few years ago. This episode, from June 2020 (so we chat about the pandemic a few times) is with content marketing queen Jennifer Goforth Gregory about moving from journalism to content marketing, why it's so important to have niches, positioning yourself to clients and agencies as a subject matter expert and her three-pronged approach to marketing yourself. She also shares a rough script on how to write an LOI (and why it's just a starting point and not the 'whole date'). Jennifer is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming The Content Byte Summit - and this is a great way to hear her story and why we both find her inspiring. Jennifer's website is here: https://www.jennifergregorywriter.com/ Connect with her Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreelanceCMW Find out more about our upcoming conference, The Content Byte Summit www.thecontentbytesummit.com.au Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

Jun 14, 2020 • 28min
Why interviewing is an essential skill - and our top tips
New to interviewing people for stories or content pieces? Or perhaps you've been interviewing people for a while but want to get better at it? In this episode, we talk about why it's such an important skill (and one in danger of being lost) and our tips for doing a great interview.

Jun 8, 2020 • 42min
Moving into content marketing with guest Claire Bradley from content agency Suddenly
In today's episode, we talk to Claire Bradley, Head of Content at content agency Suddenly (an off-shoot of News Corp). She talks to us about what content marketing clients want, what she looks for in good freelancers, transferrable skills journos have that they can bring to content marketing and much more.

Jun 1, 2020 • 20min
6 things you need to do as soon as you start freelancing
Whether you've been forced into freelancing from a redundancy or recently made the decision to start working for yourself, it can be a learning curve. In this episode, we share the 6 things we think you need to do to get set up, establish your systems and start earning money.

May 24, 2020 • 16min
Why it's a great time to do an online course (and what to consider)
Found yourself with less work and more time on your hands? During coronavirus, many online courses are free or heavily discounted, making now a great time to plug the gaps in your skillset. We share our experiences and let you know about a master list of courses to get you started.

May 17, 2020 • 23min
Awkward conversations: How to deal with them as a freelancer
The longer you're in business, the more clients you'll come across - and the more awkward conversations you may need to have. In this episode we look at some common freelance issues that can crop up as part of your client management and suggest ways to handle each scenario.

May 11, 2020 • 20min
How to write faster so you can make more money
Want to be able to write content faster so you can take on more work and make more money? In this episode we share a heap of time-saving strategies that we use ourselves - and explain why they help to ramp up your output.

May 4, 2020 • 19min
8 ways to find work you may not have considered
Whether it's spruiking yourself on your socials, building a Reddit profile, finding new outlets to pitch to or teaming up with other creatives, here are eight ways to pick up work you might not have tried.

Apr 26, 2020 • 29min
Essential SEO for content writers, featuring Kate Toon
We're stoked to bring our first ever guest, SEO queen Kate Toon, to this podcast episode. We chat to Kate about what journos, copywriters and content producers need to know about SEO, why it's essential to have an understanding of it if you're writing for content clients and how you can get started and build on your knowledge as you go. A must-listen if you've put SEO into the 'too hard' basket!


